Thursday, June 21, 2007

Accident!

Look at the picture and you know that this is going to be a shite story.

I'm still really pissed about this so I need to take some time to write this in a comprehensive manner so that I won't end up typing swear words all the way.

Let me start from the beginning.

My friend who belanja us the other day was coming for dinner last night and since he's on a strict diet to maintain his so very slim body (he was quite plump before), I decided to just keep it simple and made some chapatti doughs and some Chicken Karhai for dinner.

After feeding the boys and helping them put on their pajamas after their shower, I started on a bedtime story for them, keeping an ear out for a knock on the door as my friend said he was coming at around 7 o'clock.

And then there was a loud knock on the door.

As usual, I checked at the front window first and to my surprise, it wasn't my friend at all, but my next door neighbour. And I was even more shocked to see our Honda, which was parked right in front of the house, looking like it has just been rammed into! And what's more, the car that had done the job was still there, an old violet/purple BMW, not in a particularly good condition itself as its bumper had come off and the front of it was pretty done in. Some cars were moving slowly on the road, looking at the scene and there were few people hovering nearby.

I rushed out of the house and the few people there including my neighbour told me what had happened. The BMW was driving at top speed in the small residential and narrow road in front of our house and when another car came from the opposite direction - the BMW swerved to the side and rammed into my car which was innocently parked there - just a few hours after I parked it there after picking up my son from school!!!

In a panic, the driver and two other passengers, all young men or probably still mere boys got the car keys and simply took off and left their car there half blocking the road in front of my house!!

I called Mr S straightaway - he was at a client's office in the City but he was already getting ready to go home - Mr S told me to take some pictures to show the police or insurance people and he told me to use our digital camera (he told me where the camera was) to do it but I was too shocked and distraught to register where he said it was and so I just used my hp to get some pics of the scene. Someone in the crowd told me that they've called the police and feeling helpless and a little dazed, I also joined the rest of the people there hovering by the accident site.

My friend arrived at the time (he's Chinese by the way, not that it's relevant to the story, of course) - thank god he was there coz he helped me with the boys who came down from their room all excited because their mama opened the front door and they could hear loud voices of people talking all the way upstairs. My friend pointed out that "Ni mesti org negara P ni sebab ada bendera kecik negara tu tergantung depan kereta tu - to which I just sighed.

We waited outside for around 15 minutes and then I decided to call the police again - and report the incident myself - that was when a small Nissan Micra drove along our road slowly, and I saw that the driver and passengers of the car, all looked Indian or Pakistani descent, were looking at the accident most interestedly. The car then sped away but suddenly turned back and stopped right at the accident scene. In true Bollywood style they created havoc there swearing and yelling at each other and shouted curses at some three other young men who suddenly walked from the direction that one witness told me where the three culprits had ran to just a few minutes ago. These errant men were probably the ones who drove the wrecked BMW.

There were eight of them in all.

And there was one of me.

Lots of people were hovering around and looking through their windows but nobody assisted nor supported me.

I was still talking to the police on my hp at the time and he told me to just leave the phone on and let him hear what was going on whilst I should try to ask the men nicely, the name and address of the driver of that BMW.

"Who's the owner of this car?," one of the men asked, pointing to our car." I am." I said with not a particularly pleased expression on my face. I saw a brief look of regret on his face when he realised that 'the victim' appeared to be a small Muslim lady who looked like she wouldn't hurt a fly but then again it could have been relief for all I know - because the victim wasn't a huge and seething black man or something similarly intimidating.

One man denied that they know who the driver is. Another man said okay he'll give me the name and address of the fellow. But nobody admitted that the driver was one of them - which I suspected was probably the case.

And then they took out ropes and started to pull the car. Somebody tried to start the engine and somebody else started the engine of the Nissan Micra and slowly moved forward to push the wrecked BMW in front of it.

And suddenly they were moving away!

I yelled, "Excuse me! Your name and address please!"

But of course, I was just wasting my voice and air liur because that was their chance to get away and they just left without being responsible for what they had done and the fool that I was, I really thought that they wanted to give me their name and address, which was why I didn't really, really insist for their details at the time they were trying to start the car.

When they were gone, suddenly all the neighbours were at the scene. One said, " That was them! They were the one who drove the BMW just now!" And another one kepochi makcik hitam said, "I would never have let them go just like that! I would have gotten their name and address!"

To which I replied, " They were EIGHT of them and only ONE of me - I asked them and they didn't want to give me, so.." I just shrugged and added softly, Nobody offered to help me!

The police officer still listening on the phone asked me whether I took the pictures of the men and when I replied that I didn't, said that "I should have."

What the??!! I didn't want to stand there clearly snapping the picture of those men for 'proof' at the risk of them grabbing my phone or coming back later to attack me at my house - obviously they know where I live!

Sigh.

One hour after the accident, a police car came by and took statements and made a report to which they said they will probably try to track the car but what we should do is contact our insurance agencies. At this point Mr S arrived and I just let him talk to the two policemen - one of which had an accent that I DID NOT understand at all - for all I know he was speaking in a Martian language to me!

Mr S then had to sit for a long time with his hp to his ear talking to the insurance company while I sat with my friend while he ate his chapatti. The children were excited about the whole thing but I firmly sent them to bed anyway because I had too much on my plate at that moment to add any unnecessary tension with the boys.

Mr S came to the kitchen later to tell my friend and I that the BMW had no insurance so that makes it a little complicated for us to claim and will definitely prolong the claiming and repair/ compensation process....sigh.

So, no more trips to the parks with the kids' bikes. No more picnics. No more trips to the big stores at Beckton for groceries or books...

Sigh.

I would like to thank my friend who helped me through that whole thing while Mr S was not around - he was looking after the kids and cautioning me not to scream to those men and cause more problems. And he was also the one who saw that my face was pale and my lips were white - from shock, I guess - and asked me to sit and have a drink first while waiting for the police to arrive.

Indeed Mr S and I were sighing quite a few times last night (not from any pleasure, I assure you!) as we contemplated the problems and hassle that the accident will cause us but we are thankful anyway that no one was hurt. Alhamdulillah!

Sigh.

One nice thing though. Mr S told me that I did very well and that he was proud of me - the way I handled everything without him around - how I called the police, took pictures, tried to talk to those men and he said I was right (and my friend was right to caution me) not to push them for their names etc. for that may have caused some other trouble.

Always trying to cheer me up, Mr S also said something else. He said, "Takpe mama, at least there's something you can do after this.."

Oh, dearie dear... So so sorry to hear this. I can imagine how horrible it must've been. Mr S is right - you handled it well. Remember, the safety of our family is much much more important than anything else (though it's damn damn annoying!!). Hey, email me at p2reflect@yahoo.com. Then, we can chat further!

You poor thing...what a horrifying experience! And your neighbours (the ones who were there that day at least) were totally hopeless, leaving a lady alone to handle something like that with a bunch of irresponsible lunatics!

well at least Mr S is quite wonderful about the whole incident, trying to cheer you up like that. Sweet man he is - definitely worth 100x more than the honda! ;)

Awwww this sucks big time. Sorry to hear about the accident. It feels just outright pissifying (haha is there even such a word) when your car is nicely parked and someone happily came and rammed into it. Happened to me once. So I know how you feel. So so sorry for you. So how are you gonna get the car fixed now?

OMG...sooo sorry to hear about that...and even sorrier that you didn't/couldn't maki them (and the keypoh neighbour as well) then and there!!! but u did well!!! alhamdulillah all of u unhurt...atleast physically but the honda.